Assassanniversary (Don’t let the awful title prevent you from reading this post)
On October 26th, 1909, Korea was less than a year away from being fully annexed by Japan. At the time, there was already a Japanese resident general in place overseeing the Korean peninsula. His name was Hirobumi Ito, and he had been Japan’s first prime minister during the late 19th century. One hundred years ago today, he was gunned down at the train station in Harbin, China, by Korean nationalist Ahn Jung-geun.
Today, to say that Ahn is considered a hero in South Korea seems like an understatement. The Korean government and press consider him and his actions heroic, and view the assassination as in line with bringing peace to East Asia. While sitting in Chinese jail in the months following the assassination, Ahn worked on an essay called “On Peace in East Asia.”
Recently, new Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama has talked about the importance of East Asian regionalism and integration. Here, you have editorial writers crediting that idea to - guess who?
In Seoul, at bus stations, there have been posters with Ahn’s face hanging up for a few months. One of the symbols representing him is a hand print with the ring finger lopped off (a sign of his devotion to the cause of Korean independence). I took this picture yesterday at Gwanghwamun Plaza, one of the main public gathering areas in central Seoul:
Kind of a big deal?
Adding to the public idolatry, a musical called “Hero,” about Ahn’s life, begins today. Hello, Stephen Sondheim.
And then there’s this tidbit that ran on our front page today:
“We thought, this is it - the Ahn Jung-geun Guitar!” said Han Yeong-hun of Samick Musical Instruments.
The local musical instrument maker has recently introduced the Ahn Jung-geun Guitar, a limited-edition electric guitar made especially for the centennial of Ahn’s assassination of Ito.
Samick, one of the market leaders in the guitar industry, has in recent years felt more and more threatened by its foreign rivals. The recent setback in the world economy also took a toll on its business.
“We felt we needed to brace ourselves, to face these challenges with strong determination, just as Ahn did,” Han said.
